Rafael Nadal won the Australian Open this year, writing his name in history books as the first man to have won 21 Grand Slams. He had repeatedly underplayed his chances at the title this year, during the pre-tournament press rounds, as well as in his post-match press conferences. He also mentioned how, just a few months ago, he and his team were unsure whether he could be back on tour at all.

After his win, there was a barrage of congratulations that came his way for this fantastic achievement. While a lot of players and officials from the tennis fraternity wished him, his sponsors also dedicated posts for him. One such sponsor was Kia Motors.

Kia congratulated their “sincere friend”, Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal and KIA have had a long history. They started their journey in 2004, and in 2006, KIA made Nadal their global ambassador. Recently, their contract was renewed till 2025, which will extend their partnership beyond the 20-year mark.

After the spaniard’s win at the Australian Open 2022, KIA released a special post honoring their ‘sincere’ friend. Along with snippets from Nadal’s run at the Melbourne Park, there is a voiceover from the man himself, possibly taken from an interview. In a previous post, right after Nadal lifted the trophy, Kia had released another video calling him “history-maker.”

“Feeling passion for what one does at any time is the lesson we learn from our ambassador @RafaelNadal. You are inspiration, delivery and fight. Thank you Rafa!” Kia Espana said in the most recent video montage.

(Quotes have been translated using Google translate)

Also read: “Kia Has Played a Big Part in My Journey” – Rafael Nadal Announces Big News

In the video, Nadal says that the most important thing behind a successful career is to enjoy what you are doing. Unless the passion is there, he says, it becomes difficult to carry on practicing the same art, with the same level of dedication, day in and day out.

With the next Grand Slam of the year being the French Open, the Spaniard has a golden opportunity of making it 22 major titles.

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